Completing the FAFSA

New FAFSA Process for 2018-19

The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Anyone who wants financial aid for college will need to fill out the FAFSA. The FAFSA will be available October 1, 2017 for the 2018-2019 academic year.

Here’s what you will need to know about Early FAFSA:

On Sept. 14, 2015, President Obama announced significant changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The FAFSA will be available on Oct. 1 rather than Jan. 1.

Students attending college July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019 will be able to file the FAFSA on Oct. 1, 2017, using 2016 income tax data in a process known as Prior-Prior Year. Students are urged to us the IRS data retrieval tool to pull student and/or parent tax information into their FAFSA.

All new and current (undergraduate and graduate) students must file the FAFSA on an annual basis. Prior-Prior Year does NOT mean that it covers multiple application years.

The FAFSA form is available online after Oct. 1. The form can be accessed at www.fafsa.gov, and Point Park’s school code is 003357. In order to be considered for all available aid, it is highly recommended that prospective and current students submit a FAFSA each year, preferably by the priority deadlines noted below.

Video: Early FAFSA 2016

Video: Prior-Prior Year

When to submit your FAFSA

The earlier you file the better, but it is never too late to apply for financial aid.